Conveying apparatus



July 25, 1944. RA. MCMU'LUN 2,35 ,3

CONVEYING APPARATUS Filed July 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as l 2a j nvekioac- I by a WQ M Patented July 25, 1944 CONVEYING APPARATUS Y 1 v-tM Mul j ntw i n erlcpn exo fiomn ration ot Massachusetts m, a estsset Qui t r; li l ssav a c 'ApplicationJulywl'l';1942g serial hlo;450,812 1 This :invention relates" to" conVeying apparatus for conveying flowable solid material. i

The invention" has for an object: to'provide' a novel and-improvedconveyingrapparatus" adapted to-withdraw fiowable solid material from a? stor age bin or other source of". supply and to convey the material "thus withdrawni'in a novel -manner and ina plurality of separate" paths; eachofwhich is =arranged to distribute the material being-conveyed to a plurality-of: delivery pointer.

Another object of theiinventionisto-provide novel and'improved conveying apparatus ofthe character specified which is self-regulating to continuously supply material indesired amount in .theseparate paths above referred to.

With these general objects: in 1 view-V and.-- suchothers-asv may. hereinafter appear; the inventionconsists in the conveying apparatusand inthevarious structures, arrangements and combina tions of partsvhereinafter described .and particularly, defined; in the claims at the endofl this.

specification.

In the drawings illustrating'the preferred em bodiment of the invention, of conveying apparatus embodyingthel present invention, somepf the parts being hrokenawayg- Eig l. 2 is a cross-sectional viewtaken on the line. 2--2 of; Fig.1; Fig. 3,isa,crosssectiona1l-view' detail viewin side elevation, to be rfiferred tg,

In general, the present inventionv contemplates conveying p ra u ch ra teri 'nee fied,

adapted to q y the, m 1'ia a l ralit o through oneor moreopenings in said paths to various storagejloins, or intoiother conveyers tomore remotedistribution points. The mate}- rialis bhveyq't irougr a ciieuiirf't o igh divided to provide at least" two circular paths the material is depositedinthe trough frorn a storage the 'Va flibus' distribution pointsbobifi coiripletli 7 filled and in a manner" suchthatth'shika of" supply is automatically cut" Off "when the trough becomescompletely? filled; prinittin'g only su'ffi cient material to enter-to maintain=tlie*various distribution point's constantly supplied? with ma:

terial: Thus; the various feeding-mints'rriay be" continuously; supplied with material? in a. self:

Fig. 1. is, a. plan View.

circular paths and to. discharge, the. material pointsof distributionsuchasto thesup Ply ri Packaging mach nesliv-Yefi l s qiflel veryregulating and automatic-manner, eliminating the necessity for? starting and?v stoppingthe ap- Daratus: I i

The present device iiS particularly adapted for use iii-distributing material to the 'supplyihoppers of a batteryrofv-fillingi or. weighing-machines; the efiiciency inoperation of which is efi'ected, to some extent-'at least; bye the-head of material in the supply-- hopper: Withthe present apparatus the-supply hoppersmayr-be maintained filled at a constant level "so that: a substantially uniform head ofmaterial therein" mayflb'e: maintained at all-"timesr- Another: advantage of-t'theipresent conveying apparatus resides in :the: fact" that it is adapted to: handle: at least twodifE-erent commodities for distribution-rtesthe supply' hoppers ofthe differentmachines: Furthermore, the're'lative capacity of the v'ariousrconveyingruns may be varied by changingthe size-of one'ruri as compared to the others Referringnow'to the drawiiigs which"illustratethe: preferred embodiment of. the? invention, I if represents -a stationary circular trough or casing having a bottom wall l2 and side Walls M, iii and provided with a}? partitioning m'ember'" |8"to"subdividethe trough into'" t'woci'rcula'r paths '20; 22'." The troughmay and preferably will-be provided with'an-intennediate casingflanda cover member to protect the'material aiid to render the casing substantially: dust pro'of as the material is beingconveyed therethrough.

The conveyingmechanism includes an annular driven mem'ber 26 provided; with a" plurality'of paths '20, :22 :Ioutpreferably' 'withoutengaging' the same. The upper ends-of the U 'shapedfiiglits a'reprovided with flanged" portions 30 adapted to-be-bolted to the 'annularl membe'r 26"iiiig roove s 21 rovided: in' th 'undrside thereof, as illustrated, each groove'rbeiiig arrangedto rec'eive'two' flights arrangedrin opposed relation and; travel- Hagan-separate pathss member; 26rarid', as hereirif shown, streamemotor32' moiinted on"cross"bars"34; 35 extending i i I is prdvidedwith a'pinioii 38 'a'rraiiged to oop'e'ratei with amannularvgeair 'l'lh'attached td'the' 'arlnular across :thercentralportionof the '"ciicul Provisiom is made for driving the" annular Provision is made forfsupporting; the annular member 26 and for guiding the flight members 28 in their travel through the circular paths and,

as herein shown, the upper edge of the partition ing member I8 is arranged to form a track upon which flanged rollers 48 are arrangedtorunr ,As best shown in Fig. 3, a rollen 48j is pr vmea rqrg. each pair of opposing flights 28, and is rotatably' supported between the flights upon a stud 50 attached to and arranged to connect' a pair-of 1 opposing flights.

From the descriptionthus far it will be observed that thematerial-introduced into the casing or trough I Ois conveyed in two separate circular and concentric paths. The materialis introduced into the trough from a storage bin 52 or other source of supply disposed above the trough as indicatedin dottedlines in Fig. 2 and from which the flowable solid materialis permitted to flow by gravity-through separate funnels 54, 56 in communication withtheir res ective paths or conveying runs-20, 22L vAs illustrated in Fig. 2, thefunnels 54,56 extend'through openings in the intermediate'casing 21 the bottom of each funnel terminating immediately above the level of the-upper end-of the-shorter leg of the U-shaped flights. I In operation, the material in each run ofthe-trough is'cir'culate'd in a continuous ,andfi substantially' uniform.

stream. the height .of' the-stream being determined by the level of thebottom of'the funnels 54, 56, and by the length of the shorterleg o the flights.

rial will flow ing run is refuse to Referring nowto Figs. land 2, each conveying run 20, His provided with one or more dis- With this construction, the matee into the trough until each'convejvfilled whereupon sthe conveyer will accept. more materialfrom the supply charge openings 58", 60, in the bottom wall II which may be connected to various delivery points, such as the :supplyhcbbe'rs of p ckagin machines, not shown, by condu'its'EZ, 64. Each connecting conduit-inaytextend in'any .desired direction, as shown, to 'communicatewith its delivery point. Each. opening is preferably ro vided with a manually order to enable the supply to"a part'icular"machine to be terminated" when desired.

From the. above description it' will. be observed that in operation; the materialbeing withdrawn from the storage bin 52 is conveyedthrough the circular paths and is permitted torflow by gr vity through the several the material being conveyed reaches the firs discharge opening. tbeibulk of themater al will be discharged therethrough unt l the'hopper or bin or like delivery point is filled, whereu on the stream being conveyed will pass over the comnletely filled discharge opening and continue on to till the next discharge opening in a sim lar manner, and so on until all the. dischar e-po nts are completely choked :o'fl'. ,Thereafter 'tbe stream of material: being aconveyed: wi'll"Ibe"re--.

circulated in-a continuous.moving-column hack to the inletpoint-where thetobstr'uction of the moving column will preverltmore material operated shutter 65 in discharge openings. When' from.

shutters 65 without affecting the operation of theiconveyer, that is, the conveyer will not become overloaded, the material merely being rec rculatedas desired. .J Whilethe preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it'will 'be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the 20' following claims. Having thus described the invention,'what"is claimedisz. Y 1. Conveying apparatus for distributing flowable' solid materialcomprising'a' plurality of concentric circular troughs, a partitioning member separating said troughs. conveying mechanism i cluding an annular driven member disposed above said troughsa' plurality ofspaced'fiight members carried by said annular member to move therewith. said flightsbeing arranged in con centric rows and running in their respective circular troughs. 'a source of supplyof fiowable solid material incommunication with each of sa d troughs, each of said troughs being provided with at least one discharge opening, and means for'driving said annular member, said annular member and the flight members carried thereby be ng supported on and guided by said partitioningmember:

2. Conveying apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of concentric troughs, a partitioning member separating said troughs, an "annular driven member] disposed above said troughs, a plurality of spaced U-shaped flight members carried by said annular member to move therewith, said flight members being arranged in concentric .rows tov run in said troughs, a sourceof supply of flowable solid material in communication with said troughs, each of said troughs being provided with at least one discharge opening.. and means for driving said annular member, said annular member and the flight members carriedthereby being supported on and guided by said partitioning member.

3. Conveying apparatus for distributing fiowable-solid material comprising a plurality of contion with said troughs, each of said troughs being provided with at least onedischarge opening. means for driving saidqannular-member, and

uiding and supporting means-for said annular member arranged to maintain said rows of flights spaced from the side and bottom walls of said troughs. said, troughs-projecting beyond the outer and inner edges ofthe annular member.

4. A self-regulating .feeding device for dis tributing flowable solid material comprising a plurality of concentric circular troughs. an annular d'riven member disposed above said troughs,

a plurality of spaced open flight members carried by said annular member to move therewith, each of said flights being substantially U-shaped and having one leg thereof terminating below the top of the troughs, said flights being arranged in concentric rows to run in their respective circular troughs, a funnel for each trough having its outlet end extending below the top thereof and terminating above said one leg to provide a source of supply of flowable solid material in communication with said troughs, each of said troughs being provided with at least one discharge opening, and means for continuously driving said annular member, the relationship between the inlet ends of the funnels and. the top of said legs operating to convey the material in substantially uniform streams and to recirculate the material in their respective troughs when said discharge openings are completely filled, said streams being arranged to obstruct said source of supply and to prevent introduction of addition material from said funnels until the material being conveyed is again being discharged through said discharge openings.

5. Conveyin apparatus of the character described, comprising a circular trough, a partitioning member in said trough arranged to form two concentric paths, conveying mechanism including an annular driven member disposed above said trough, a plurality of spaced U-shaped flight members carried by said annular member and arranged in two concentric rows to run in their respective paths, means for driving said annular member, a source of supply of flowable solid material in communication with said paths, a plurality of discharge openings in said paths, and means for guiding and supporting said conveying mechanism including flanged rollers carried by said flights and arranged to run on top of said partitioning member.

B GMU LIN. 

